My apologies for the last minute decision, but after much deliberation I have decided that I no longer wish to road race competitively at any level, and therefore will not be attending The Goodwood Revival as originally planned.

Thinking back to when I retired from Grand Prix competition in 1995, I waited until the last minute trying to convince myself that it was going to get better, and just before heading to the airport for the fourth race of the season I made the decision that I no longer wanted to put my butt on the line. I called the team and said I wasn’t coming and retired at that moment, with ironically and unbeknownst to me at the time, 34 points.

For me, it is not possible to just get on the bike and ride for fun, I will want to ride to the limit and try and win and that risk is not something I am interested in taking anymore.

My hope is that each of you respect my decision and despite my absence, have a stellar weekend as Lord March and his Goodwood staff always provide.

LAS VEGAS (OCT. 29, 2015) – SMI is proud to announce that one of motorcycling’s greatest legends, 1993 FIM 500cc Grand Prix (now MotoGP) World Champion Kevin Schwantz, will serve as Grand Marshal for the 2015 Superprestigio of the Americas at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 21.

Schwantz is slated to be on hand to meet with fans and sign autographs. Ever the racer, Schwantz is also scheduled to take a few hot laps of honor around the indoor short track at the Orleans Arena.

“We are greatly honored to have Kevin, one of the most iconic motorcycle racers in America, as part of the inaugural Superprestigio of the Americas,” said SMI President Steve McLaughlin. “We’re privileged to honor him as Grand Marshal and we think it will be a great opportunity for our fans to get an opportunity to interact with Kevin.”

Schwantz came out of Texas and quickly rocketed to prominence as one of America’s best road racers during the mid-1980s. By the late 1980s, Schwantz moved to international competition in the 500cc Grand Prix World Championships. He was a perennial top rider in that series and won the world championship in 1993. During his Grand Prix racing career, Schwantz racked up 25 career 500cc GP victories, putting him second all-time among American riders.

“I’m honored to be asked to be a part of the Superprestigio of the Americas,” Schwantz said. “I’ve always been a flat track fan and even had the opportunity to do a little flat track racing in my career. I can tell you these riders are some of the most talented motorcycle racers in the world and it’s great to bring together all these riders from different areas of motorcycling to compete together in this exciting and unique event.”

The Superprestigio of the Americas will bring together motorcycle racers from different disciplines to race on the same track that will host the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Final the night before in this exciting season-ending doubleheader. The Friday and Saturday night races will be the centerpiece of a full weekend of exiting activities in Las Vegas, including the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Awards Banquet scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 22 at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Spots are still open for additional AMA Pro Grand National riders to qualify and some of those won’t be decided until the night before SOTA’15 during the AMA Pro Flat Track final on Friday, Nov. 20, 2015, also at the Orleans Arena. The two riders who win the GNC1 and GNC2 class in the AMA Pro Flat Track final Friday night will also gain participation in the Superprestigio of the Americas. More details to come at www.superprestigio.com.

The Superprestigio of the Americas (SOTA’15) will bring together leading motorcycle racers from various motorcycle-racing disciplines from around the world to compete head to head with the stars of AMA Pro Flat Track on a specially-designed indoor short track at the Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Nov. 21, 2015. The special race is part of the big Las Vegas doubleheader weekend with the AMA Pro Flat Track finale taking place the night before (Nov. 20, 2015) on the same track. #VegasFT